Dredging at Brazilian port Santos has unexpectedly started seven days earlier than expected, according to the Journal of Commerce.

The continuity of dredging in the port of Santos will come as a great relief to the port users, and CEO of the Santos port authority Codesp hopes that “with the new depth the port will be more efficient and provide a boost to the foreign trade”. The additional 1.8 meters (6 feet) of draft will allow ships calling the port to carry up to 180 extra 20-foot-equivalent units.

The draft at Santos had fallen from 15 meters to 13.2 meters, leading to draft restrictions that limited the amount of containers ships could take from Santos and caused delays for shippers.

The restrictions have impacted all of the Santos container terminals, but Brasil Terminal Portuaria, a joint venture between APM Terminals and Terminal Investment Limited, has suffered the most.

For every 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) of extra draft the average container ship can carry an extra eight to 10 containers, according to the the Santos and Sao Paulo Shipagents Association. The average ship calling Santos ranges between 6,000 and 10,000 TEUs.

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